The Florida Gators will be down a defensive starter for the rest of the 2024 season, per reports. Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. will not return in 2024 after suffering a labrum injury, Zach Abolverdi of On3 shared Wednesday.

The corner suffered the injury during the team’s Week 8 homecoming game against Kentucky. Marshall started all 7 games for the Gators in 2024, collecting 20 tackles, 4 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.

Against Kentucky, Marshall collected 2 tackles before leaving. The Gators easily beat the Wildcats 48-20, picking up their 2nd conference win of the season.

The loss of Marshall will be a tough blow for the Gators. With Marshall, the Gators are the nation’s No. 47 pass defense. The unit has collected 6 interceptions this season. Without the veteran leader, the Gators will likely start sophomore Dijon Johnson, per Abolverdi. Cormani McClain is also expected to get more playing time.

This is a brutal stretch of schedule coming up for the Gators. The team faces No. 2 Georgia in Jacksonville on Saturday and then travels to Texas to take on the No. 6 Longhorns in Week 11.

It doesn’t end there, though, for the Gators. After bouts with Georgia and Texas, the team still has to play LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State to end the season.

The Week 10 neutral-site matchup against Georgia will kick off from EverBank Stadium, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.  At publishing time, FanDuel Sportsbook has Georgia favored by 16.5 points in the rivalry clash.